Plastic bundling ties are commonly used for bundling wires in electrical harnesses or other applications where a plurality of wires extending parallel to and adjacent each other are to be bundled. These ties are typically of the type having an elongate, thin, flexible strap and an apertured head adapted for passage of the tail end of the strap therethrough. The head includes means for engaging the strap to hold the bundling tie tightly in position about the wires.
Power-operated tools for automatically applying bundling ties are generally known. Such tools typically include means for positioning a bundling tie about the wires, tensioning the tie and then severing the strap once the tie is suitably tensioned. Typically, ties are fed into tools of this type from a disposable cartridge or magazine which holds the ties in a radially extending arcuate pattern. Such cartridges are commonly mounted directly on the tool although in one other arrangement the cartridge is disposed remote from the tool and individual ties are driven through an interconnecting hose by pneumatic pressure. In these tools using cartridge feeding devices, a plurality of individual ties are held in the cartridge and a suitable mechanism is required to transfer ties individually to the guide path of the tool positioning means.
In another known arrangement that utilizes a tie feeding mechanism without a cartridge, a tool includes a chamber for receiving and holding a plurality of individual ties arranged in a stack wherein the straps are in overlapping relation and the apertured heads are staggered in a straight row. The ties are held in place relative to each other by releasable, snap-fitting means on each of the ties for holding adjacent ties together.
In an automatic bundling tie applying tool, there are many features that are desirable, such as, for example, tie application speed, handleability, weight, ease and simplicity of tie loading, consistency of tie tensioning and portability. Each of the known application tools suffers from one or more limitations that reduce its desirability and effectiveness. For example, in tools having the arcuate cartridges mounted thereon, handling and control of the tool is difficult and awkward. In the tool with the remote dispenser, the application range is limited by the length of the hose interconnecting the tool and the dispenser. In the tool using the overlapping stacked ties, special preparation for tie alignment and loading is required. In the known various automatic tools the power is commonly furnished by fluid actuated means that requires a supply of fluid, typically under compression, thereby limiting the portability of the tools. Accordingly, a tool without such various limitations is therefore desirable.